Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!shadooby!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: TTAERUM@ualtavm.bitnet Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: 1 Kings 13 Message-ID: Date: 24 Nov 89 03:38:11 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 36 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , chl@computer-science. >Jereboam, the first king of Israel, has erected an illegal altar at Bethel, >complete with idols and other abominations. An unnamed prophet (let us call >him Foo) comes to Bethel and prophecies against the altar. When Jereboam tries >to have him arrested, his arm is paralysed, and the altar is struck in two. >3) I think Foo could justifiably claim that he had been "set up" (if he had >still been alive, that is). But if so who set him up? Bar? Or God? The latter This historical event tells us something about: - the nature of G-d - the role of the prophet - the role of the false prophet - G-d's judgement on all of these. A prophet, in the role of an ambassador for G-d, has many of the same restrictions as earthly ambassadors. You cannot have a message of judgement against sedition and then engage in sedition without facing the same judgement. The prophet, in his (excusable?) sedition, becomes a role model of what will happen to Israel - in the same way that Saul was a role model of what would happen to Israel because of their desire to have a king like the nations around them. The older prophet shows he recognises the truth of the younger prophet by requesting that his body be placed in the grave beside the younger prophet. In order words, where the young prophet goes after death - he wanted to go. It is impossible to answer the underlying question of "was G-d just?" If He was (and I believe He was) then one can construe ways in which G-d could have been acting justly. If He wasn't, then one can also construe ways in which G-d could have been acting unjustly. The text simply doesn't tell us enough to know - one can only work from presupposition. Terry Taerum